As a fellow writer who appears on at least one of the same publications, I've read a lot of David Swanson's articles over the years. Every one of those articles was sharp and had strong back up from good sources. I was therefore very excited when I heard that he had written a book. David and I sometimes disagree on the issues. He is more critical of Democrats and Obama than I tend to be, and that is reflected in the book, but that is no reflection on the quality of his work.

"Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" was the top selling book last week from my publisher, Seven Stories, and from the distributor of almost all independent publishers.

I'm in Kansas City tomorrow night, Oklahoma City on Friday, and Dallas on Saturday for a series of events all day and night, including a public debate on whether Bush should be prosecuted.

September 13, 2009, 6 p.m.
Busboys and Poets Restaurant / Bookstore
Washington, D.C.
Author David Swanson discusses and signs his new book, "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." Daybreak is a thorough investigation of how Bush/Cheney altered the way American government works and deteriorated the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It includes clear plans for how we may reclaim democracy, declare our rights, and truly set out for a new America. --- Free and open to all!

David Swanson will discuss and sign his new book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union," join a protest at George W. Bush's house and participate in a live debate on whether Bush should be prosecuted for war crimes. Next stops: Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Dallas.

Author David Swanson discusses and signs his new book, "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." Daybreak is a thorough investigation of how Bush/Cheney altered the way American government works and deteriorated the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It includes clear plans for how we may reclaim democracy, declare our rights, and truly set out for a new America. --- Free and open to all!

"Daybreak" has ranked in top 10 politics books on Amazon.com since the day it was published.

David Swanson is co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com. He's also a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, and Voters for Peace as well as a member of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice.

Subtitled "Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming A More Perfect Union, Daybreak" is Swanson's first book, a timely and impressive account of presidential extremism, congressional complicity, the urgency for progressive change, and how to do it.

Swanson exposes what was wrong under George Bush and provides a compelling prescription for real change.

In his book "Cracks in the Constitution," Ferdinand Lundberg explained that the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, never deterred presidents or sitting governments from doing what they wished, then inventing justifications for their actions. During eight years in office, George Bush personified it and said so in his own words. In 2005, he told congressional Republican leaders:

"I'm the president and the commander-in chief. Do (things) my way. Stop throwing the Constitution in my face. It's just a goddamned piece of paper." Both parties acceded. The administration got away with murder. Separation of powers were abandoned. Checks and balances barely exist. Lawlessness became the new standard, and the republic took a giant step backward toward despotism and dystopia under a culture of violence, police state laws, and a Wall Street-run asset-stripping system - parasitically destroying America, wrecking the economy for profit, and forcing the public into permanent debt peonage.

Swanson's book is a call to arms for change, an alert about what's wrong with the nation, the urgency to restore the rule of law, save the republic, and necessity to get engaged enough to matter. After eight years under Bush - Cheney and Obama's early months, the government is more than ever corrupted, imperial, and extremist. Undoing the damage will take years of committed effort, and Swanson explains how:

understand the imminent danger;

replace today's media system with a more democratic one;

develop new thoughts and actions;

engage to work for change;

cooperate with other nations, don't exploit them;

consider eight years of damage and serious problems built up over decades;

demand accountability for wrongdoing; and

"encourage the American people to take actions that are absolutely necessary. Now."

David Swanson is the author of the new book "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by Seven Stories Press, an immediate bestseller at Amazon.com. This article is adapted from "Daybreak."

Since 1973 presidents who have launched wars without the authorization of Congress have done so, not just in violation of the Constitution, but also in violation of the War Powers Act, a law written in reaction to President Richard Nixon's abuses of power and passed over his veto. The law allows a president to send armed forces into action abroad only with the authorization of Congress, unless the United States is actually under attack or serious threat. The president is required to notify Congress within 48 hours if he commits armed forces to action abroad, and forces cannot be kept in action for more than sixty days without an authorization from Congress. This law is actually weaker than the constitutional requirement and should be strengthened, but it is a law that Bush (and Congress) violated.

One way in which Bush Jr. outdid his predecessors in martial criminality was by persuading Congress to issue a vague and general authorization to "use force" at any point in the future when the president believed certain conditions had been met. By so doing the Congress, as well as the president, violated the Constitution and the War Powers Act. The Iraq War was not launched with any specific and timely authorization from Congress. That is the first of many reasons the war is widely considered illegal. Congress's authorization allowing the president to determine whether to go to war was an unconstitutional delegation of the power to declare war. My friend John Bonifaz led a legal suit on behalf of soldiers and members of Congress aimed at preventing the war on those grounds, and the courts avoided it rather than ruling on the merits.

In defense of Congress, its resolution did require that if the president decided to use force he must submit a report to Congress explaining how this use of force met certain criteria. The explanation Bush gave made false claims about "weapons of mass destruction" and ties to al-Qaeda.

The fact that Bush used Congress's "Authorization to Use Force" without actually complying with its terms is a second reason the Iraq War is illegal. In addition, Bush had signed that authorization and asserted in the accompanying signing statement that he did not actually need any authorization at all.

I got pulled over for speeding in Texas yesterday and the officer looked like the kind of guy who dreamed about using his taser. So when he asked for my license and registration, I slowly got them out and handed them over.

"Do you know why I stopped you?" he asked.

I replied, "I think I do, sir, but I think you may be looking backward a little bit." Officer Rigveda (that was his name) looked behind him and then looked confused.

I tried to explain: "What I mean is, this is a time for reflection, not retribution. I know you don't want to hurt the morale of speeders and put the nation in danger."

“We have in our power to begin the world over again.” - Tom Paine, author of “Common Sense.”

For me, the essence of author/activist David Swanson’s insightful tome: “Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union,” is this: On June 16, 2005, I was at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., to cover a hearing on the infamous “Downing Street Memos.” This document, crafted by the Brits, revealed that the Bush-Cheney Gang, colluded with Dubya’s poodle, Tony Blair, the then British P.M. It showed that they were predisposed to go to war with Iraq--no matter what. To that immoral end, the scoundrels schemed to fix the “intelligence and facts...around the policy.” In other words, the b......s lied and thousands of innocents died, U.S. troops and Iraq civilians alike; and the U.S. taxpayers are now out $3.5 trillion and counting. (1)

That hearing, initiated by Swanson, along with a coalition of activists, was held in a basement room of the Capitol--more like a large closet. (2) The Bush-Cheney Gang wouldn’t allow the use a regular meeting room on the Hill. The House of Representatives’ “Out of Iraq Caucus,” led by Representatives John Conyers, Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Bob Filner, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Dennis Kucinich, James McGovern, Jim Moran and Lynn Woolsey, sponsored the “unofficial” event. The phonies in the Establishment media either totally ignored, marginalized or mocked it. This, sadly, was their M.O. during most of the reign of the Bush-Cheney Gang.

It's a GREAT DAY in America when heralds of hate, specifically Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin, are booted from their Amazon best seller slots on DAY ONE of the publication of progressive leader David Swanson's breakthrough tome, DAYBREAK - now at Number One on Amazon's non-fiction best seller list. From this terrific response to Swanson's new book arises my sincere hope that DAYBREAK attracts a good many of Beck and Malkin's readers, so they, too, will have the opportunity to absorb the depth of information and dedication to solutions that David Swanson offers.

In the fight for accountability, there are many whose actions have failed to live up to their rhetoric. It is one thing to believe this country is worth fighting for, and yet another to actually spend time fighting.

As someone who worked for Congressman Wexler's campaign and his push for impeachment hearings, I can attest to David's fighting spirit and breadth of knowledge. His comprehensive understanding of the supporting evidence - coupled with a singular clarity of the legislative process and players - made him an vital resource.

There are surely plenty of people who disagree with him on Impeachment and/or his approach, but few that have been witness to his dedication, or have heard him speak in defense of the rule of law, could reasonably question his commitment to basic principles of justice and our constitution.

David Swanson, a tireless analyst and organizer, has taken a leaf from Emile Zola's playbook and written an American "J'accuse". And what an indictment it is. In over 300 pages crammed full of facts, figures, incriminating and self-incriminating quotes, Swanson's Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union makes the following case: Bush-Cheney and their cohorts are guilty of a power grab which has inflicted near mortal wounds on the Constitution; Obama has not done nearly enough to repair the damage; Congress has collapsed, and even the Supreme Court could use some fixing up.

A presidential candidate opposed to the Iraq War is elected and enters the Oval Office. Yet six months later, there are still essentially the same number of troops in Iraq as were there when his predecessor left, the same number, in fact, used in the original invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Moreover, the new president remains on the "withdrawal" schedule the previous administration laid out for him with the same caveats being issued about whether it can even be met.

Sights and Scenes from a good old-fashioned summer picnic, with speechmaking, terrific food, music and a book signing, “Daybreak,” for author/activist David Swanson. The event was sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of Montgomery County and moderated by its chair, Mike Hersh. It was held on August 30, 2009, in Wheaton, Maryland, just north of the Washington, D.C. line.

Note: there is a drive to move this book to the top of Amazon.com on September 1, 2009. I highly encourage folks to buy one or more copies at Amazon where it is currently $13.57 - 2 or more will give you free shipping.

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